A brush fire near Metro-North tracks in Sleepy Hollow temporarily disrupted service Sunday.

The fire started behind a house near Pokahoe Drive. One resident said he saw the fire approaching his yard at around 12:45 p.m.

"The flames were coming up 30 or 40 feet with a thick column of ash-filled smoke," said resident David Fink. "It's kind of hard to describe how vulnerable you feel when you're looking at that and understanding that a garden hose is not going to be the solution."

Firefighters dragged hoses through the streets and fields and battled hot weather to get the fire under control. "Lately, it's very dry. It's very hot," said Sleepy Hollow Fire Department First Assistant Chief John Korzelius. Some firefighters suffered heat exhaustion.

Service on Metro-North's Hudson Line resumed with delays of about 20 minutes before getting back on schedule.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the fire, which officials say may have been sparked by the nearby train tracks.